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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24862342">Tomorrow will take it away</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWithoutStars/pseuds/NightWithoutStars'>NightWithoutStars</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry/Voldemort One-Shots [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abuse, Blood, Dark, Death, Implied Non-Con, M/M, Obsession, One-Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:39:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,179</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24862342</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightWithoutStars/pseuds/NightWithoutStars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus Snape was nobody's savior. Not the world's, not the Order's, and certainly not Potter's. Yet, as he stared at the broken child in front of him, he was brutally reminded of his allegiance and loyalty to Lily Potter. The thought of what she would have done had she seen her only child this way ate him alive. </p><p> </p><p>That night in the graveyard, Lord Voldemort found out about his unintentional Horcrux.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Harry Potter/Voldemort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry/Voldemort One-Shots [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>200</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tomorrow will take it away</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Severus Snape was nobody's savior. Not the world's, not the Order's, and certainly not Potter's. Yet, as he stared at the broken child in front of him, he was brutally reminded of his allegiance and loyalty to Lily Potter. The thought of what she would have done had she seen her only child this way ate him alive. </p><p>Once upon a time, he looked at Harry Potter and saw a miniature version of his bully, mixed with the only woman he had ever loved. Those almond-shaped, brilliant, green eyes, were the only thing he had appreciated in over a decade, even though they glared at him out of the face of James Potter. He had seen the arrogant mannerisms, the lack of talent, and the pride, all of which reflected the father of the boy. </p><p>Now, however, when he looked at the child, he saw a broken creature.There were small, shallow cuts all along the naked body, some bleeding. Potter's back was worse, covered in marks that could only stem from a whip. The flesh of his wrists, tied to the bedpost, was raw - a testament to his repeated fight against his treatment. Visible tear stains coated the pale cheeks, the once bronze tan long gone. </p><p>Yet, for Severus, this was not the worst image. The beautiful eyes - his only source of hope - were clouded; unseeing. <em>Blind</em>. It hurt him in a part of his heart he had not wished to visit for a long time. </p><p><em>"Heal him"</em>, cold words spoken by a high voice, as the man who haunted his nightmares stepped past him, uncaring of the whimpering bundle he left behind on the bed. </p><p>It was no mystery what the Dark Lord did to the Boy-Who-Lived, the one who was prophesized to defeat him. At some point, all of them had heard the desperate cries echoing through the manor. <em>Don't. Please stop. Please. Please, please, please</em>. It appeared as though Lord Voldemort had finally broken the pride and bravery which defined Potter - a feat Severus would never have believed possible. He wished it was indeed impossible.</p><p>Harry Potter had been <em>fourteen</em> when it had started. Severus still remembered the night Narcissa came to him, with rare tears glistening in her eyes. It had been three days after the boy had disappeared from the Tournament - three days of endless searching and despair. Albus had thought him dead and in the end, the dark-haired man prayed for the truth of it.</p><p><em>"I didn't know he was inclined that way"</em>, his long time friend had mumbled, her pinched face unusually emotional. Lady Malfoy held a soft spot for children, no matter whether they were her own or not. Perhaps for the first time, she truly regretted joining the Dark Lord's cause.</p><p>
  <em>"What if it was Draco? I would set the world aflame and watch it burn to the ground."</em>
</p><p> That night, he had performed an unbreakable vow, had sworn to protect Draco no matter the cost. His godson had spent the majority of the summer holiday with him, out of reach of the perverse madman who occupied Malfoy Manor. Though Severus - angered by the constant moaning and whining - had been minutes away from wringing the boy's pale neck, he had persevered with the knowledge that this was for the best. Draco didn't and couldn't know off the fate of his fellow student. </p><p>It had been similar to the other the Death Eaters, who had children. All of them kept their children as far away from their Lord as they possibly could. Yet, it seemed their worries were unfounded, as Lord Voldemort showed no interest in anyone apart from the broken boy in his bedroom. </p><p>Some part of Severus, twisted as it was, wished that that was not the case - that there would be someone else who would catch the monster's eye. Perhaps that would mean freedom for Potter, if only in the form of death. </p><p>Death would be more merciful than <em>this</em>.</p><p>Looking at the child now, broken and in tears, the man wondered why his master kept the boy alive. After all, Potter's death had been the most urgent matter since the Dark Lord found out about the prophecy. In the first months, he could understand it to a certain point. Voldemort was known for breaking his victims before killing them when they begged for death. Why keep Potter alive, when Severus himself had heard the pleas through the walls of the Manor? Their sudden absence for the last months was even further testament to utter despair the child experienced. </p><p>In the last weeks, his master had begun to summon him to the lavish bedroom, once he was done with Potter. Day after day, Severus was forced to heal the sexually abused child, though he was forbidden to do more than the bare minimum, just as he was not allowed to relieve the pain. </p><p>It was his personal torture, a punishment for his role in Dumbledore's death. He was a master of Legilimency and Slytherin enough to mask his emotions at any instance, yet his master knew of his strange protectiveness of the boy. Or perhaps he merely was suspicious of his loyalty.</p><p>Carefully, as to avoid alarming Potter even further, Severus approached the bed, trying not to focus too much on the various stains upon the sheets. </p><p>"Potter?", he whispered, hand hesitantly brushing the thin shoulder.</p><p>The desperate whimper, accompanied by the boy's flinch hurt the Potions Master's cold, dead heart. Harry never spoke to him. At this point, Severus was unaware whether he could or if Voldemort had silenced him, just as he had blinded him. </p><p>The fear and despair on the youthful face reinforced Severus' determination.</p><p>"Do you want this to end?", he questioned, voice urging - aware of the time pressure.</p><p>The trembling body stilled, face turning towards him. Unseeing, green eyes, which he was sure would haunt him for the short remainder of his pathetic life. A curt nod, gesture small enough that he could not be sure to not have imagined it, gave him permission to help Potter.</p><p>"Drink this."</p><p>
  <em>Voldemort has to kill him</em>
  <em>. </em>
</p><p>Words spoken by Albus Dumbledore before his demise, after Severus demanded why they did not perform a rescue mission while they still could. But Albus Dumbledore did not see what he saw - the scars, emotional and physical. The wise man would not be haunted by the desperate pleas of a boy who searched for a savior in a cold, uncaring world. </p><p>The Potions Master had done many horrible things as a Death Eater - torture, murder, manipulation. As it turned out, this was the line he would not cross, no matter what Dumbledore had instructed.</p><p>His own hands shook almost more than the boy's as he brought the vial up to the bloody lips, marred by teeth marks (whether they were Potter's or another's he could not tell). Basilisk venom destroyed Horcruxes. Hopefully, it would kill the host along with the piece of a murderer's soul. </p><p>Severus Snape was nobody's savior, yet he would attempt to save Harry Potter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi guys,</p><p>this is a bit dark... it seems I cannot stop myself from writing one-shots ;)<br/>Check out my other stories as well, if you're bored! </p><p>Let me know what you think ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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